It’s tough to call Stephen Strasburg overrated after he struck out 14 Pirates batters in his first major league start.
But one video game developer seems to think that Strasburg, who has only pitched seven innings in the big leagues, is already one of the best pitchers in the game.
According to Kotaku.com, 2K Sports has given the Nationals phenom an 87 rating on MLB 2K10’s latest roster update, which is due to come out as early as 9 p.m. on Thursday. MLB 2K10’s "MLB Today" mode gives fans the ability to play the current day’s games, with rosters updated every couple of weeks.
The generous rating makes Strasburg the 15th-best pitcher in the video game, ahead of star pitchers like the Yankees’ A.J. Burnett, Houston’s Roy Oswalt and Philadelphia’s Cole Hamels.
Strasburg will be the highest-rated pitcher on the Nationals — Livan Hernandez was a 75 in the last update — and his ranking would make the rookie the top hurler on 15 other clubs in the video game.
Who knows? If Strasburg strikes out the side in the first inning in Cleveland on Sunday, 2K Sports might rate him No. 1.
